Forty-two-year-old Heinrich Visser won the 2016 edition of The Munga this past weekend. The Brackenfell, Cape Town resident, who works as a senior server engineer at The Foschini Group, beat a field of 79 to clock a winning time of 2 days 23 hours 1 minute for the 1084km race from Bloemfontein to Wellington. We’d never heard of Visser before this week and certainly didn’t consider him a potential winner of The Munga. Turns out neither did he! Read about his fascinating journey from being off the bike for 18 months due to a heart condition, to winning ‘The Toughest Race on Earth’.
By Sean Badenhorst
Photos: Erik Vermeulen
How long have you been a bike rider for?
I started riding a bicycle from about 6 years old, like most kids. Soon after that I got into BMX racing until the age of 12. From then on it was pretty much rugby and cricket throughout school. I continued playing club cricket competitively after school until the age of around 30, when I called it a day. I started cycling again as I needed to do some kind of sport/activity, just to stay fit. It was also good for me with all the injuries that I have picked up over the years playing rugby and cricket.
Did you do the 2015 Munga?
No. I was a Munga novice this year.
Was winning the 2016 Munga your objective from the start?
Not at all. I honestly just wanted to finish the event.
When did you start training for the 2016 Munga?
I was out of cycling for almost 18 months due to illness. I contracted myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle), which meant a very long period of recovery for me. In August of this year I was put on a very specific programme, which allowed me to ride once in every four days, at a heart rate of not higher than 120bpm, for six weeks. After that I could ride once in every three days. In September I could start riding for three days and rest for two. I was then allowed to push my heart rate up to 130bpm. On the 24th of October I had my final check-up with my cardiologist when he gave me the all clear. I was allowed to train as per normal and push as hard as I was able to. I actually just continued riding at fairly low intensity with a few short higher-intensity rides.
What did you feel was going to be your biggest challenge coming into the 2016 Munga?
What I thought to have been my “lack” of training and preparation. I heard
that guys were putting in some serious hours and I had not done anything close to that.
I also have been struggling with my back due to being off the bike for such a long time. I knew that if my back went I would be in real trouble.
Also, being fair skinned, I was extremely worried about the sun and heat of the Karoo in December.
And what was your biggest challenge in the 2016 Munga; and how did you overcome it?
As predicted, my lower back gave me hell. There was not much I could do to be honest. I just had to suck it up. It did impact me on the long climbs. I really had to dig deep and “byt vas”.
The last 18 hours of the race I could not get any food down and I knew it was going to get me into serious trouble. I pretty much rode on Coke and water from then on. I downed quite a few of the chocolate milk drinks at the last RV (race village)!
When did you think you could take the overall win?
Once I left the last RV, with about 70km to go.
What was it like dicing against a woman (Jeannie Dreyer) for the overall title?
To be honest, we did not really dice each other. Jeannie suggested that we ride together because we were riding at a very similar pace. I was absolutely fine with that as I knew she is a very experienced racer at extreme endurance events. I think it worked out great for both of us.
Describe your bike and equipment and why you chose it?
I rode a Rocky Mountain Vertex 999RSL (carbon fibre hardtail) with American Classic Wide Lightning wheels with WTB Nano tyres. I used Time XC pedals, simply because they are indestructible.
I changed the standard flat bar for some gravel drop bars. I was running 1X11 SRAM X01 and decided to stick with a 1X11 setup. I had to change the shifter and went with SRAM Rival Double Tap cable shifters. My hydraulic brakes were replaced with Avid BB-7 cable disc brakes. Those changes were necessitated by the decision to go with the drop bars. I went with the cable brake option purely because of cost.
The light I used was an Extreme Lights Core cycle light. They claim an almost 40-hour run time on the low setting. I did have a spare battery which I did not have to use.
I carried all the usual spares: multi-tool, slime tube, 3 x CO2 bombs, pump, small bottle of sealant, valve core remover, 3 x chain links, tyre levers, plugs, gators, patches and chain breaker.
I added a third bottle cage to the bottom of my down tube and used a 2-litre Camelbak Classic.
I got a sponsorship for kit from Lagoona Textiles. This came about a little more than a week before the event. After some phoning around the friendly folk at CIOVITA were able to help me out with kit at seriously short notice. I knew it was a huge risk to change bibshorts so close to the event. I went for two rides with one of their bibs and found them to be very comfortable. I made the decision to ride with them during the event. The kit is great quality and I can say (after the fact) that I made the right decision. I used two sets of kit during the event. I did make the mistake of not applying any shammy cream when I changed kit at Brits Town. It did not affect me at all during the race but I can now say that I’m sitting with a very tender “derrière”! I ride with Specialized shoes.
What does winning The Munga mean to you?
It is really difficult to put into words because it has not really sunk in yet. It has however made me realise what I am capable of mentally and physically. It’s been an incredible journey and I’m extremely proud of my achievement.
How has your body reacted after the race?
To be honest, I was in a lot of pain on the day after finishing. My lower back was killing me and my knees were rather painful. I had quite a few blisters on my hands which was rather unpleasant. As mentioned before, my behind wasn’t in great shape either. Two days after I felt fine, except for the tender behind.
Were there any moments when you considered pulling out?
Not for a second.
Prior to this, what have been your three most significant achievements as a cyclist?
Probably when I was a SA BMX champ in my age category around the age of 10 or 11! Hardly worth mentioning because it’s a lifetime ago. I came sixth overall at the Trans Baviaans a few years ago and I have a top 10 finish in the 100 Miler a few years back. Other than that, there is nothing to write home about.
Do you think you might try and defend your title in 2017?
If I can get a sports pass and remain healthy I would like to line up again. Whether I would stand any chance of putting up any meaningful defence remains to be seen.
What one piece of advice would you give to those considering tackling the 2017 Munga?
Do not underestimate how tough this event is! You can prepare as much as you want but you need to make sure that mentally you are up for the suffering. Never give up!
Anyone in particular you would like to thank?
I was off the bike for quite a long time before this race because of health issues. I would like to thank my cardiologist, Dr Andre Saaiman, for helping me get back to full health.
There are a lot of friends which I would like to thank for the support during the race. You know who you all are! I also would like to thank my parents for the support during the final kilometres of the race.
I would like to thank my wife for her incredible support and for putting up with all my training time.
Lastly, I would like to thank Alex Harris and his incredible team for organising an amazing event.
